Cleveland Corner: Where real religion is found

Dr. Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, and the author of several books. His books are available at www.wordofhismouth.com

By Dr. Bo Wagner

Published: Friday, January 31, 2014 at 04:25 PM.

There are many words in our modern vernacular that have been warped and twisted so drastically as to change a positive into a negative. One of those words is the word “religion.” I very rarely ever hear it mentioned in a positive way or tone. Interestingly, many that I hear disparaging it are actually preachers. They are often very well meaning, but that does not change the fact that they are in error.

You see, the Bible uses the term, and it does so positively. James 1:27 says “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James made it clear that pure religion is a two-part thing. The end of the verse describes a life lived righteously rather than sinfully. But it is in the first half of the verse that most joyous part of real religion is found, visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction. I have been musing over this verse for a few days now, and I have sweet Mrs. Ailene to thank for it.

Ailene has been a member of our church since the very first year, 1997. She was old when she came to us, so she is very advanced in age now. Recently she got too weak and confused to drive safely, so my family and I started picking her up and taking her to church. But one recent Sunday she was not there, and then was not there again the next. We did some checking and found that her condition had deteriorated to the point that her family had to place her in an assisted living center.

This past Tuesday, we drove through the pretty winter snow to the assisted living facility in Rutherford County. When we walked into the activity room to see Ailene, she looked up, stared blankly for just a second, and then her face lit up with recognition as she smiled from ear to ear. We held her hands, prayed with her, and told her all about how the church is doing. She asked about people, nodded in appreciation as we answered her questions, and told us how glad she was to see us.

Then she began to cry just a bit. After years around familiar faces, I guess it is hard to get used to a bunch of new ones. I knelt beside her, took her hand again and said “Sis, you’ve been a faithful member for 16 years. You can’t come to us right now, but we can still come to you! We don’t forget our own.”

I am saved, I have been since I accepted Christ back in 1979 as a 9-year-old boy. But I also desire to be religious, which is a bit of a different thing than being saved. Salvation is found kneeling before the Lord, repenting of our sins, and receiving Him into our hearts. But religion is found in different places. Religion is found in nursing homes holding services for patients. Religion is found in assisted living centers kneeling beside someone who is uncertain and a bit scared. Religion is found on a bus route, picking up kids from the inner city and bringing them to church. Religion is found helping a family whose home has burned down to rebuild their lives. Religion is found beside a hospital bed comforting someone who is about to undergo a surgery that has them scared to death. Religion is found in holding a sobbing child, and not minding that the shoulder of your suit is getting wet and snotty.

Religion wont get you to heaven, but if you are truly going to heaven, there will be a desire in you to be religious! So mock religion if you must, but as for me, I want my theme song to be “Gimme that old time religion, it’s good enough for me!”

Dr. Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, and the author of several books. His books are available at www.wordofhismouth.com

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There are many words in our modern vernacular that have been warped and twisted so drastically as to change a positive into a negative. One of those words is the word “religion.” I very rarely ever hear it mentioned in a positive way or tone. Interestingly, many that I hear disparaging it are actually preachers. They are often very well meaning, but that does not change the fact that they are in error.

You see, the Bible uses the term, and it does so positively. James 1:27 says “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James made it clear that pure religion is a two-part thing. The end of the verse describes a life lived righteously rather than sinfully. But it is in the first half of the verse that most joyous part of real religion is found, visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction. I have been musing over this verse for a few days now, and I have sweet Mrs. Ailene to thank for it.

Ailene has been a member of our church since the very first year, 1997. She was old when she came to us, so she is very advanced in age now. Recently she got too weak and confused to drive safely, so my family and I started picking her up and taking her to church. But one recent Sunday she was not there, and then was not there again the next. We did some checking and found that her condition had deteriorated to the point that her family had to place her in an assisted living center.

This past Tuesday, we drove through the pretty winter snow to the assisted living facility in Rutherford County. When we walked into the activity room to see Ailene, she looked up, stared blankly for just a second, and then her face lit up with recognition as she smiled from ear to ear. We held her hands, prayed with her, and told her all about how the church is doing. She asked about people, nodded in appreciation as we answered her questions, and told us how glad she was to see us.

Then she began to cry just a bit. After years around familiar faces, I guess it is hard to get used to a bunch of new ones. I knelt beside her, took her hand again and said “Sis, you’ve been a faithful member for 16 years. You can’t come to us right now, but we can still come to you! We don’t forget our own.”

I am saved, I have been since I accepted Christ back in 1979 as a 9-year-old boy. But I also desire to be religious, which is a bit of a different thing than being saved. Salvation is found kneeling before the Lord, repenting of our sins, and receiving Him into our hearts. But religion is found in different places. Religion is found in nursing homes holding services for patients. Religion is found in assisted living centers kneeling beside someone who is uncertain and a bit scared. Religion is found on a bus route, picking up kids from the inner city and bringing them to church. Religion is found helping a family whose home has burned down to rebuild their lives. Religion is found beside a hospital bed comforting someone who is about to undergo a surgery that has them scared to death. Religion is found in holding a sobbing child, and not minding that the shoulder of your suit is getting wet and snotty.

Religion wont get you to heaven, but if you are truly going to heaven, there will be a desire in you to be religious! So mock religion if you must, but as for me, I want my theme song to be “Gimme that old time religion, it’s good enough for me!”

Dr. Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, and the author of several books. His books are available at www.wordofhismouth.com